Nyako Trial: FG seeks to tender documents of over 30 bank accounts

The Federal Government on Wednesday sought to tender documents of over 30 bank accounts in evidence against former Gov. Muritala Nyako and seven others who are facing trial in the Federal High Court Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nyako, the former governor of Adamawa and seven others, including companies, are standing trial before Justice Okon Abang on a 37-count charge bordering on money laundering.

The charges against the defendants include criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, opening of multiple bank accounts and stealing to the tune of N29 billion.

The defendants, who were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), allegedly opened over 30 different accounts with Zenith Bank Plc. with the money between 2011 and 2013.

At the resumed sitting, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), sought to tender the documents used in opening the account through the bank’s officer, Olabode Farinoola, who identified himself as a complaint officer.

“Some of the names used by the defendants in opening these accounts are Tropical Agro Farms Clinic Ltd, Redcapet Protocol Ltd, Tower Asset Management Ltd and Government Service Department account.

“Others are office of the secretary to the state government, Muru Ngbula-Joran, Bincola Engineering Service Ltd, Blue Ribbon Service and Travel Tour Ltd and Blue Opal Nigeria Ltd,” Jacobs said.

However, Counsel to Nyako, Kanu Agabi (SAN), raised an objection to the request to tender the documents on the grounds that the defendants needed to go through the documents before they could be tendered in evidence.

Agabi prayed the court to adjourn the matter to enable the defence to go through the documents to ascertain their authenticity as claimed by the prosecution.

He said, “I plead for adjournment to enable the defence to go through the documents the prosecution seeks to tender through the witness.”

Other defence counsel agreed with Agabi’s prayer for the adjournment to enable them to go through the documents before being tendered in evidence.

Justice Abang agreed to the prayer and adjourned continuation in the matter until Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 to enable the defence counsel to go through the documents sought to be tendered in evidence.